Interchangeable luggage-chair structure



March 14, 1967 A. H. ROBERTS 3,309,134

INTERCHANGEABLE LUGGAGE-CHAIR STRUCTURE Filed April 8, 1965 I5Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Afihur H. Roberts Mm 2W ATTORNEY March 14, 1967A. H. ROBERTS INTERCHANGEABLE LUGGAGE-CHAIR STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 8, 1965 INVENTOR Arihur H. Roberi's BY W ATTORNEY March 1967A. H. ROBERTS INTERCHANGEABLE LUGGAGE-CHAIR STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-SheetFiled April 8, 1965 V INVENTOR Ari'hur H. Roberfis BY%%W/ ATTORNEY3,309,134 INTERCHANGEABLE LUGGAGE-CHAIR STRUCTURE Arthur H. Roberts,Brooklyn, NX.

(1?, Lynwood Drive, Westbury, I l-Y. 11590) Filed Apr. 8, 1965, Ser. No.446,623 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-17) This invention relates to the conversionof a chair structure into a usable luggage configuration.

The primary object of the instant invention resides in the provision ofa simplified beach chair-luggage carrier article of novel character andof improved utility.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article usable in abeach chair configuration and which is capable of being folded into alugage configuration, the latter being usable for luggage carryingpurposes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a uniquefoldable beach chair whereby the latter may be variably foldable to forma luggage case of conventional configuration.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of abeach chair having novel back-portion support means.

Another general object of the present invention resides in the provisionof an article of the foregoing character which is light in weight,economical of manufacture, easily and quickly converted from one form tothe other, durable, and highly effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of the instant interchangeableluggage-chair structure will be set forth in part hereinafter and inpart will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of theinvention, the same being realized and attained by means of thestructure defined and pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate the invention and together with the description,serve to explain the principles thereof. Similar reference charactersrefer to corresponding parts and elements throughout the severalfigures.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the article in its complete beachchair configuration;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the entire frame structure only,of the beach chair form;

FIGURE 3 is a plan elevational view of the operative beach chairconfiguration;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the beach chair as illustratedsupported upon a surface;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the double hingeused in connecting the leg-rest portion to the seat portion;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the pivotalconnection of the seat and intermediate or back portions and the detailof the lock- States Patent ing means and support means used forsupporting the back portion at the desired angle;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional elevation showing the article folded into itslugage configuration whereby the obverse side of the beach chair seatportion serves as an outside face of the article in its luggageconfiguration;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional elevation view of the luggage carrier whereinthe reverse side of the beach chair seat portion serves as an outsideface of the article in its luggage configuration;

FIGURE 9 illustrates the pivotability of the arm-rest and first supportmeans with respect to the seat portion frame structure;

FIGURE 10 is a cross sectional view of the first support means and thesupport securement mechanism used for lockingly positioning said meanswith respect to the seat portion frame structure; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the telescopicassociation of the extensible means and the first support means and thecoaction of the second support means with said extensible means.

In accordance With the foregoing and with reference now to theaccompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that the articledesignated generally by numeral 1 is usable as a beach chair and thearticle in the form generally designated by numeral 2 is usable as aluggage carrier.

With particular reference to FIGURES 1-4, the article 1 will be seen toinclude seat portion 4, the latter having obverse and reverse sides 6and 8, respectively, and a frame structure 10 to which said seat portionis attached. Chair legs or support means 12 are attached to said framestructure 10 as shown by support securement means 14, said legs beingnormally downwardly extending from said frame structure for supportingsaid seat portion above a surface 16, as shown in FIGURE 4. Arm-restmeans 18 which serve to support the arms of a person seated within thechair are similarly secured to said frame structure 10 by arm-restsecurement means 20, said arm-rest means being normally extendedupwardly of said frame structure as shown.

Support means 12 and arm-rest means 18 are both preferably adapted forat least movement with respect to said frame structure 10 as indicatedin FIG- URE 9, said respective securement means 14 and 20 being adaptedto lock support means 12 and arm-rest means 18 in either the verticallyupward or vertically downward position at the selection of the user ofthe article, all of said positions being illustrated in FIG- URE 9 withrespect to frame structure 10. To accomplish these ends, securementmeans 14 and 20, both of which are identical are constructed inaccordance with the disclosure of FIGURE 10 which is particularlydirected to securement means 14 and support means 12. Therein as shown,indents 22 and 24 provided. 180 apart internally of sleeve-likesecurement means 14 will receive balls 26 which are biased outwardly ofthe center of frame structure 10 by spring 28. Thus leg support 12 maybe locked in the vertical upward or downward position as aforedescribed.Arm-rest means 18, as above stated are similarly pivotable and lockable.Therefore, it will be observed that respective pairs of arm-rests 18 andleg support 12 will lie in substantially the same planes, when in thevertical upward or downward locked positions as can be seen in FIGURE 3.

As support for the back of a person seated within the chairconfiguration, back portion 30 is provided, the latter being attached toframe structure 32. Said seat and back portion frame structures arepivotally connected at 34 by pins 36, as typically shown in FIGURES 1and 7, frame structure 32 and the back portion attached thereto isadapted to fold along a line 38 disposed distance D from the pivotalconnection of said seat and back portion frame structures. The foldingor pivoting operation is enabled by pivot pins 40, which are the bentfree ends of U-shaped back portion support means 42 to be described infurther detail hereinbelow. Thus, when the backportion is folded, aseparate section or intermediate portion designated generally by numeral44 is defined, said section lying between the pivotal connection 34 andfold line 38. The distance D, it will be observed, is slightly greaterthan space S between said seat portion 4 and surface 16 when the formeris supported above the latter.

For the purpose of restraining said back portion frame structure againstpivotability at 40 or foldability along imaginary line 38 illustrated inFIGURE 1, locking means member 46 is provided, said locking means beingin the form of a slidable sleeve having a split region 48 whereby pins40 will be avoided when said member is slid thereover to precludefolding of said back portion frame structure 32 as previously described.Thus, the locking member 46 is selectively positionable to accomplishsuch restraint against folding or pivotability and causes the entireback portion including the separately foldable section 44 to remainrigid.

Support member 42, ends 40 of which serve as the pivot pinsaforedescribed, extends pivotally from said back portion frame structure32 and can therefore be folded within the side elements of framestructure 32 to thereby assume a parallel attitude therewith as shownmore particularly in FIGURES 7 and 8, such parallelism being requiredwhen the article is in its luggage configuration as shown in saidfigures. Said support member when in the extended position being capableof supporting said back portion in a desired angular position when saidarticle is in its chair configuration, may be directly embedded withinsurface 16 where e.g., said surface is sand. Extensible members 50,which are telescopically contained within support members I2, will whenwithdrawn from said support members, be adjustably positionable as shownin FIGURE 11, to reach beneath said back portion and in spaced relationtherewith whereby, end 52 of support member 42 which is removablysecurable within notches 54 of said extensible member will support saidback portion as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4.

Curtain members or closure means 56 depending peripherally of the sidesof said back portion frame structure 32 and curtain member or closuremeans 58 depending from the rear of said back portion frame structure asshown in cross section in FIGURE 4 are each provided with fasteningmembers 60 such as snaps as shown on each side adjacently the loweredges 62 thereof. These fastening members coacts with a second set offastening members 64 which are shown suitably provided on the sides andforward end of said seat portion frame structure to retain said curtainmembers in position when serving as three of the side faces of'thearticle when in the luggage configuration. As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8of the drawings, the article can be folded two ways to form the luggageconfiguration. In the form shown in FIGURE 7, the arm-rest members 18are folded and locked in the downward position whereby observe side 6 ofthe seat portion 4 forms the top face of the luggage article. Where asin FIGURE 8, support members 12 are pivoted and locked in the upwardposition, reverse side 8 of said seat portion 4 forms the bottom face ofthe luggage article. The back portion 30 is accordingly folded either oftwo ways where as in FIGURE 7 said back portion 30 forms the bottom faceand in FIGURE 8 where said back portion forms the top face of theluggage. The curtain members, it will be understood, have either surfaceexposed when used as side faces in the luggage configuration dependingupon the manner in which the arm-rest support member and the backportions are folded.

Leg-rest portion 70 which has a frame structure 72 is similarly foldablein a dual manner with respect to said seat portion for the purpose ofconverting the article from the chair to the luggage configuration. Thedouble hinge assembly illustrated in detail in FIGURE 5 discloses apreferable means for accomplishing such alternate folding feature. Thatis, frame structure 72 is pivotally connected to frame structure 10 attwo points 74- and 76, link '78 establishing the floating connectionwhich provides the necessary motion to enable leg-rest portion 70 tofold below or above frame structure It) and in parallelisrn therewith asshown in FIGURES 7 and 8, respectively. A leg-rest end support member 80is provided and may as shown be folded within said leg-rest frame bydint of the pivotal connection at 82.

Although the preferred embodiment of the interchangeable luggage-chairstructure has been described, it will be understood that the foregoingdetailed description is exemplary and that various changes may be madein the shape of the article, the materials of construction, theframe-structure may be tubular or solid, circular of crosssection asshown or otherwise suitably shaped, the seat, back and leg-rest portionsmay be fabric, synthetic or natural or of other suitable sheet material,and that other modifications may be made by those skilled in the artwithout actually departing from the invention. The appended claims,therefore, are intended to cover all such equivalent variations as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What is claimed is:

1. In an article usable in one configuration as a beachchair and usablein another configuration as a luggagecarrier having top and bottom facesand side faces, the combination comprised of a seat portion havingobverse and reverse sides and a frame structure, first support meanssecured to and extending from said frame structure for supporting saidseat portion above a surface, support securernent means attaching saidfirst support means to said frame structure for lockingly positioningsaid first support means in either vertically upward or verticallydownward relation with respect to said seat portion, armrest meanssecured to and extending from said frame structure for supporting thearms of a person seated upon said article, arm-rest securement meansattaching said armrest means to said frame structure for lockinglyposition ing said arm-rest means vertically upward or verticallydownward with respect to said seat portion, said armrest and firstsupport means being in substantially the same planes, respectively, whenin the vertical upward or downward locked positions, a back portionhaving a frame structure, the frame structures of said seat and backportions being pivotally connected, said back portion frame structurebeing foldable along a line intermediate the ends thereof, the distancebetween said line and pivotai connection of said seat and back portionframe structure's defining a separate section, said distance beingslightly greater than the space between said seat portion and saidsurface when the former is standing upon the latter, locking means forrestraining said back portion frame structure against folding along saidline, said locking means being selectively positionable to accomplishsuch restraint against folding, second support means extending from saidback portion frame structure, said second support means being pivotallyconnected to said back portion and capsie of assuming parallelism withrespect thereto, said sec ond support means, when in its extendedposition, being capable of supporting said back portion in a desiredangular position when said article is in its chair configuration,-curtain members depending peripherally of said back por= tron framestructure, said curtain members having first fastener means locatedadjacently the edges thereof, extensible means telescopically associatedwith said first sup port means, said extensible means, when extendedbeing adapted to reach beneath said back portion and in spacedrelationtherewith, an end of said second support means being removably securableto said extensible means for supporting said back portion when thearticle is in its chair configuration, a leg-rest portion having a framestructure, the frame structures of said seat and leg-rest portions beingpivotably connected, said leg-rest portion being foldable into parallelsuperposition with respect to either said obverse or reverse sides ofsaid seat portion, said seat and back portions serving as the top andbottom faces of said article when in its luggage configuration, saidseparate section of said back portion serving as a side face of saidarticle when in its luggage configuration and said curtain membersserving as the remaining side faces of said article when in its luggageconfiguration, second fastener mean$ Provided on said seat portion framestructure, said first and second fastener means being cooperable toretain said curtain members in position when serving as said remainingside faces.

2 In an article usable in one configuration as a beach chair and usablein another configuration as a luggagecarrier having top and bottom facesand side faces, the combination comprised of a seat portion having aframe structure, first support means secured to and extending from saidframe structure for supporting said seat portion spacedly above asurface, support securement means attaching said first support means tosaid frame structure for lockingly positioning said first support meansin vertically downward relation wit-h respect to said seat portion,arm-rest means secured to and extending from said frame structure forsupporting the arms of a person seated upon said beach chair, arm-restsecurement means attaching said arm-rest means to said frame structurefor lockingly positioning said arm-rest means vertically upward :orvertically downward with respect to said seat portion, said arm-rest andfirst support means being in substantially the same plane when saidarm-rest is in the vertical upward or downward locked positions, a backportion having a frame structure, the frame structures of said seat andback portions being pivotally connected, said back portion framestructure being adapted to fold along a line disposed a distance fromthe pivotal connection of said seat and back portion frame structuresto, when folded, define a separate section intermediate said pivotalconnection and the fold, said distance being slightly greater than thespace between said seat portion and said surface when the former issupported above the latter, locking means for restraining said backportion frame structure ag-ainst pivotability, said locking means beingselectively positionable to accomplish such restraint againstpivotability, second support means adapted to support said back portionin a desired angular position when said article is in its chairconfiguration, curtain members depending peripherally of said backportion, a leg-rest portion having a frame structure, said leg-restportion being adapted for removable placement in superposition withrespect to said seat portion, said seat and back portions serving as thetop and bottom faces of said article when in its luggage configuration,said separate section of said back portion serving as a side face ofsaid article when in its luggage configuration and said curtain membersserving as the remaining side faces of said article when in its luggageconfiguration, and curtain member fastening means for securing saidcurtain members to a frame structure when the article is in its luggageconfiguration.

3. In an article usable in one configuration as a beach chair and usablein another configuration as a luggagecarrier having top, bottom and sidefaces, the combination comprised of a seat portion having a framestructure, first support means secured to and extending from said framestructure for supporting said seat portion spacedly above a surface,arm-rest means secured to and extending from said frame structure forsupporting the arms of a person seated upon said beach-chair, arm-restsecurement means attaching said arm-rest means to said frame structurefor lockingly positioning said arm-rest means vertically upward orvertically downward with respect to said seat portion, said arm-rest andfirst support means being in substantially the same plane when saidarm-rest is in the vertical upward or downward locked positions, a backportion having a frame structure, the frame structures of said seat andback portions being pivotally connected, said back portion framestructure being adapted to fold at a distance from said pivotalconnection to, when folded, define a separate section intermediate saidpivotal connection and the fold, said distance being slightly greaterthan the space between said seat portion and said surface when theformer is supported above the latter locking means for restraining saidback portion frame structure against folding upon itself, said lockingmeans being selectively positionable to accomplish such restraintagainst folding, second support means adapted to support said backportion in a desired angular position when said article is in its chairconfiguration, a leg-rest portion having a frame structure, saidleg-rest portion being adapted for removable placement in superpositionwith respect to said seat portion, said seat and back portions servingas the top and bottom faces of said article when in its luggageconfiguration, said separate section of said back portion serving as aside face of said article when in the luggage configuration, and closuremeans, said closure means being adapted to cover the remaining sidefaces of said article when in its luggage configuration.

4. In an article usable in one configuration as a beachchair and usablein another configuration as a luggage article having top, bottom andside faces, the combination comprised of a seat portion having a framestructure, first support means secured to and extending from said seatportion frame structure for supporting said seat portion spacedly-abovea surface, said first support means being pivotable through With respectto said seat portion, single securement means adapted to lock said firstsupport means in either a vertically upward or vertically downwardposition with respect to said seat portion, whereby the luggageconfiguration can be formed whether said support means is locked in thevertically upward or downward positions, a back portion having a framestructure, the frame structure of said seat and back portions beingpivot-ally connected, said back portion frame structure being adapted tofold at a distance from said pivotal connection to, when folded, defineda separate section intermediate said pivotal connection and the fold,said distance being slightly greater than the space between said seatportion and said surface when the former is supported above the latter,second support means adapted to support said back portion in a desiredangular position when said article is in its chair configuration, saidseat and back portions serving as the top and bottom faces of saidarticle when in its luggage configuration, said intermediate sectionserving as a side face of said article when in the luggageconfiguration, and closure means, said closure means being adapted tocover the remaining side faces of said article when in its luggageconfiguration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 336,347 2/1886Rice -1 595,316 12/1897 Leek 297-30 2,373,106 4/1945 Doux 190-422,546,493 3 1951 Booth 297-436 2,570,571 10/1951 Leeman 190-8 2,694,44111/1954 Degenfelder 297-17 2,888,689 6/1959 Mourot 5-114 3,179,4654/1965 Roberts 297-17 FOREIGN PATENTS 333,537 11/1903 France.

433,090 10/1911 France.

325,217 2/ 1930 Great Britain.

131,060 4/ 1929 Switzerland.

261,315 8/ 1949 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, SAMUEL FEINBERG,

Examiners. F. K. ZUGEL, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN AN ARTICLE USABLE IN ONE CONFIGURATION AS A BEACHCHAIR AND USABLEIN ANOTHER CONFIGURATION AS A LUGGAGECARRIER HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM FACESAND SIDE FACES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISED OF A SEAT PORTION HAVINGOBVERSE AND REVERSE SIDES AND A FRAME STRUCTURE, FIRST SUPPORT MEANSSECURED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING SAIDSEAT PORTION ABOVE A SURFACE, SUPPORT SECUREMENT MEANS ATTACHING SAIDFIRST SUPPORT MEANS TO SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR LOCKINGLY POSITIONINGSAID FIRST SUPPORT MEANS IN EITHER VERTICALLY UPWARD OR VERTICALLYDOWNWARD RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SEAT PORTION, ARMREST MEANSSECURED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING THEARMS OF A PERSON SEATED UPON SAID ARTICLE, ARM-REST SECUREMENT MEANSATTACHING SAID ARMREST MEANS TO SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR LOCKINGLYPOSITIONING SAID ARM-REST MEANS VERTICALLY UPWARD OR VERTICALLY DOWNWARDWITH RESPECT TO SAID SEAT PORTION, SAID ARMREST AND FIRST SUPPORT MEANSBEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAMD PLANES, RESPECTIVELY, WHEN IN THEVERTICAL UPWARD OR DOWNWARD LOCKED POSITIONS, A BACK PORTION HAVING AFRAME STRUCTURE, THE FRAME STRUCTURES OF SAID SEAT AND BACK PORTIONSBEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED, SAID BACK PORTION FRAME STRUCTURE BEINGFOLDABLE ALONG A LINE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, THE DISTANCEBETWEEN SAID LINE AND PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF SAID SEAT AND BACK PORTIONFRAME STRUCTURES DEFINING A SEPARATE SECTION, SAID DISTANCE BEINGSLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SEAT PORTION AND SAIDSURFACE WHEN THE FORMER IS STANDING UPON THE LATTER, LOCKING MEANS FORRESTRAINING SAID BACK PORTION FRAME STRUCTURE AGAINST FOLDING ALONG SAIDLINE, SAID LOCKING MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE TO ACCOMPLISHSUCH RESTRAINT AGAINST FOLDING ALONG SAID LINE, SAID LOCKING MEANS BEINGBACK PORTION FRAME STRUCTURE, SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS BEING PIVOTALLYCONNECTED TO SAID BACK PORTION AND CAPABLE OF ASSUMING PARALLELISM WITHRESPECT THERETO, SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS, WHEN IN ITS EXTENDEDPOSITION, BEING CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING SAID BACK PORTION IN A DESIREDANGULAR POSITION WHEN SAID ARTICLE IS IN ITS CHAIR CONFIGURATION,CURTAIN MEMBERS DEPENDING PERIPHERALLY OF SAID BACK PORTION FRAMESTRUCTURE, SAID CURTAIN MEMBERS HAVING FIRST FASTENER MEANS LOCATEDADJACENTLY THE EDGES THEREOF, EXTENSIBLE MEANS TELESCOPICALLY ASSOCIATEDWITH SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEANS, SAID EXTENSIBLE MEANS, WHEN EXTENDEDBEING ADAPTED TO REACH BENEATH SAID BACK PORTION AND IN SPACED RELATIONTHEREWITH, AN END OF SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS BEING REMOVABLY SECURABLETO SAID EXTENSIBLE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BACK PORTION WHEN THEARTICLE IS IN ITS CHAIR CONFIGURATION, A LEG-REST PORTION HAVING A FRAMESTRUCTURE, THE FRAME STRUCTURES OF SAID SEAT AND LEG-REST PORTIONS BEINGPIVOTABLY CONNECTED, SAID LEG-REST PORTION BEING FOLDABLE INTO PARALLELSUPERPOSITION WITH RESPECT TO EITHER SAID OBVERSE OR REVERSE SIDES OFSAID SEAT PORTION, SAID SEAT AND BACK PORTIONS SERVING AS THE TOP ANDBOTTOM FACES OF SAID ARTICLE WHEN IN ITS LUGGAGE CONFIGURATION, SAIDSEPARATE SECTION OF SAID BACK PORTION SERVING AS A SIDE FACE OF SAIDARTICLE WHEN IN ITS LUGGAGE CONFIGURATION AND SAID CURTAIN MEMBERSSERVING AS THE REMAINING SIDE FACES OF SAID ARTICLE WHEN IN ITS LUGGAGECONFIGURATION, SECOND FASTENER MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID SEAT PORTION FRAMESTRUCTURE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND FASTENER MEANS BEING COOPERABLE TORETAIN SAID CURTAIN MEMBERS IN POSITION WHEN SERVING AS SAID REMAININGSIDE FACES.